General News

In The Name of the Father subject dies aged 60

By:
WENN.com

Jun 22, 2014 | 9:41am EDT

The man who inspired Sir Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-nominated film In The Name Of The Father has died. Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly jailed for a 1974 IRA attack on a pub in England, lost his battle with cancer on Saturday morning (21Jun14) at the age of 60.
Conlon spent 15 years behind bars after he was found guilty of the atrocity in Surrey. He was one of four people who had their convictions overturned in 1989 and he spent the remainder for his life campaigning for inmates he belived to be innocent.
His life story was adapted for the big screen in the 1993 biopic, with Day-Lewis playing Conlon. The star was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his turn in the movie. His co-stars Emma Thompson and Pete Postlethwaite also earned Academy Award nods for their supporting roles, and Jim Sheridan was nominated for a Best Director Oscar.